DTCC's recent expansion of its tri-party matching workflow, with BNP Paribas and J.P.

Morgan on board, underscores a significant leap towards fully automated, faster T+1 settlement cycles, promising enhanced efficiency and resilience across global markets.

As global markets accelerate towards shorter settlement cycles, especially the transition to T+1, industry infrastructure is increasingly relying on automation and streamlined workflows. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has been a key driver in this shift, notably through its Central Trade Matching (CTM) platform. Recently, DTCC announced that BNP Paribas and J.P. Morgan have joined their automated tri-party matching workflow for prime brokers, with plans for full implementation around September 2025. This development aims to enhance communication between hedge funds, prime brokers, and executing brokers, improving efficiency and transparency as markets in the UK, EU, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein prepare for their own T+1 transitions by October 2027.

Val Wotton, managing director and global head of equities solutions at DTCC, emphasized that the industry's move to T+1 has been underpinned by extensive preparations and the deployment of advanced automation, including the use of CTM. This tri-party matching system standardizes and automates the delivery of trade files, enabling prime brokers to receive a consistent, validated set of transaction details—often referred to as a \u201cgolden copy\u201d—once a trade is matched between a hedge fund and an executing broker. Having this single, authoritative source significantly reduces discrepancies and provides real-time visibility for all parties involved.

While currently primarily available in non-U.S. securities markets, this workflow's adoption by BNP Paribas and J.P. Morgan offers significant benefits to U.S.-based hedge funds trading internationally. It simplifies the post-trade process by automating trade matching and providing standardized data, which supports quicker and more accurate settlement. Additionally, the workflow leverages CTM's automated central matching functionality and interfaces with DTCC\u2019s ALERT database, which contains over 16 million validated Standing Settlement Instructions (SSIs), enhancing trade settlement accuracy and efficiency.

A critical challenge in meeting T+1 deadlines is achieving same-day affirmation (SDA)—the process of confirming trade details within hours of execution on T+0. To address this, CTM's Match to Instruct (M2i) workflow was specifically designed to automate and streamline this process. M2i links trade allocation matching in middle office to confirmation in back office, enabling auto-affirmation. Industry leaders like Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC have reported SDA rates exceeding 99% attributable to this system, alongside a 38% reduction in affirmation exceptions and a 64% decline in settlement fails by value in Q4 2023. These improvements demonstrate CTM\u2019s vital role in achieving and maintaining operational stability under tighter settlement timelines.

Since the transition to T+1, the industry has observed notable results: a $3 billion decrease in the clearing fund, a netting efficiency rate of about 98%, and stable fail rates comparable to those under the previous T+2 cycle. U.S. markets now report SDA rates of over 95% and fail rates around 2–3%, whether in CNS or other settlement environments. These outcomes underscore the importance of centralized matching, automation, and validated trade data in supporting resilient, efficient post-trade operations during this significant shift.

Looking ahead, DTCC anticipates that the tri-party workflow will serve as a foundation for broader international clearing capabilities. As the UK and EU roll out their own T+1 initiatives, this platform is expected to facilitate similar netting and clearing efficiencies. Wotton highlighted that as trading volumes grow and global markets shift toward shortened settlement cycles, scalability and resilience will become even more crucial. The tri-party workflow is designed to support these needs by enabling central clearing functions akin to those already in place in the U.S., thereby fostering a more robust and synchronized global post-trade infrastructure.

The role of automation extends beyond matching to include the automatic enrichment of SSIs via DTCC's ALERT database. This combined approach reduces operational friction, minimizes last-minute reconciliation, and accelerates the transition from trade execution to settlement. Wotton noted that in today’s environment, with shrinking margins for error and increasing trade volumes, eliminating manual handoffs and standardizing data at the point of trade are essential. These technological advancements empower the industry to not only adapt to tighter settlement windows but to thrive amidst them.

Overall, the expansion and integration of DTCC’s CTM tri-party matching workflow exemplify how technological innovation and industry collaboration can substantially improve post-trade processes. By establishing a standardized, automated, and transparent foundation, these developments support a future where settlement cycles are faster, operational risks are reduced, and the global trading landscape becomes more resilient. The progress achieved today hints at a more efficient, scalable, and secure post-trade environment in the years ahead.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Verification / Sources

  • https://www.tradersmagazine.com/featured_articles/dtcc-expands-ctm-tri-party-matching-workflow-with-bnp-paribas-and-j-p-morgan/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
  • https://www.thetradenews.com/jp-morgan-and-bnp-paribas-adopt-dtccs-tri-party-matching-workflow/ - BNP Paribas and JP Morgan are preparing to implement the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) CTM automated tri-party matching workflow for prime brokers by the end of 2025. This initiative aims to streamline communications between hedge funds, prime brokers, and executing brokers, thereby reducing delays and operational risks. As markets in the UK, EU, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein prepare for the transition to a T+1 settlement cycle by October 2027, this workflow is expected to enhance efficiency and transparency in post-trade processing. Currently, prime brokers often receive trade details from hedge funds in various formats and at different times, which can extend to T+1, causing delays in post-trade processing. The CTM workflow standardises and automates the delivery of trade files, providing prime brokers with a 'golden copy' of transaction details once a trade is matched between a hedge fund and an executing broker. This allows allocations to be processed in real time, improving efficiency and transparency across the post-trade chain.
  • https://www.dtcc.com/news/2024/april/03/new-ctm-tri-party-matching-workflow-for-prime-brokers-with-societe-generale-as-first-to-go-live - DTCC announced that Societe Generale is the first prime broker to leverage CTM’s new automated tri-party trade matching workflow. This solution streamlines trade communications between hedge funds, prime brokers, and executing brokers, enhancing post-trade process automation as the industry prepares for global accelerated settlement. The workflow standardises and automates hedge fund trade file delivery, ensuring real-time communication of trade details and enabling a seamless, no-touch trade processing flow. The new workflow leverages CTM’s automated central matching functionality and provides prime brokers with a 'golden copy' of transaction details when a trade match between a hedge fund and an executing broker takes place, bringing real-time standardisation and automation to the trade allocation process.
  • https://onepropfirms.com/bnp-paribas-jpmorgan-adopts-automated-tri-party-workflow-that-matches-ctm-for-prime-brokers/ - DTCC announced that BNP Paribas and JP Morgan have joined the automated tri-party workflow corresponding to CTM, which rationalises trade communications between hedge funds, prime brokers, and executing brokers. This CTM workflow brings greater levels of efficiency to global markets. Currently, many prime brokers receive trade details from hedge funds in different formats and at varying times, which can extend to T+1, causing delays in post-trade processing. CTM’s tri-party matching capabilities standardise and automate the delivery of hedge fund trade files to prime brokers, ensuring timely communication of trade details and allowing a seamless and effective trade processing flow. The workflow uses the automated central CTM match functionality, providing prime brokers with a 'golden copy' of the transaction details when a trade match between a hedge fund and an executing broker occurs, allowing standardisation and automation in real-time processing.
  • https://www.dtcc.com/dtcc-connection/articles/2021/july/21/accelerated-settlement-and-achieving-automation - The article discusses the role of Institutional Trade Processing (ITP) in achieving accelerated settlement cycles, particularly the transition to T+1. It highlights the importance of increased efficiency in allocation and affirmation processes to meet the T+1 settlement timeline. The move to T+1 aligns with DTCC ITP’s support for U.S. trades via a single global central matching platform, CTM. The CTM platform boasts a 95% average same-day matching rate, settlement notification, and trade enrichment from DTCC’s ALERT with access to a growing resource of 11 million Standing Settlement Instructions (SSIs). The affirmation process for U.S. institutional trades is performed via TradeSuite, with trades affirmed prior to affirmation cutoff at 11:30 AM on T+1 sent to the Depository Trust Company (DTC) for settlement. For prime broker flow, trades are sent to the National Securities Clearing Corporation’s (NSCC) continuous net settlement (CNS) for netting. Trades that don’t make the affirmation cutoff are processed as delivery orders (DOs), a less efficient and more costly process. The article also notes that unaffirmed trades are 54 times more likely to result in a trade not being authorised by the counterparty in the trade settlement process at DTC, compared to affirmed trades. These unaffirmed trades create significant friction and translate to greater human capital and monetary cost to research the trade. In a move to T+1, those friction points will need to be addressed to ensure that trades settle on a timely basis.
  • https://www.tradersmagazine.com/xtra/goldman-sachs-achieves-99-same-day-affirmation-rate-with-dtccs-ctm-match/ - DTCC announced that Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC has achieved a greater than 99% same-day affirmation rate and a significant improvement in settlement rates for transactions leveraging CTM’s Match to Instruct (M2i) workflow in Q4 2023. In addition, Goldman Sachs was able to achieve a 38% reduction in same-day affirmation exceptions and a 64% reduction in U.S. settlement fails by value, when matching and affirming trades with investment manager counterparties who also use CTM’s M2i. CTM’s M2i workflow significantly increases same-day affirmation (SDA) rates on DTC-eligible securities when a trade match occurs between an investment manager and executing broker. This improvement in affirmation timeliness and reduction in settlement fails are key as the industry sets its sights on a U.S. move to T+1 in May 2024.
  • https://www.dtcc.com/dtcc-connection/articles/2024/february/06/dtcc-urges-firms-to-act-now-to-prepare-for-t1 - DTCC urges firms to act now to prepare for the T+1 settlement cycle. It is recommended that investment managers affirm the broker’s confirm, but that responsibility can be delegated to an agent (custodian or prime broker). According to Val Wotton, increased operational efficiency and end-to-end automation are prerequisites to achieving a T+1 settlement cycle. Specifically, he said, critical activities that follow upon a trade match between an investment manager and the broker – allocation, confirmation, and affirmation – should be automated. Aside from meeting the tight settlement deadline, a zero-touch workflow where trade affirmations are automatically triggered to enable settlement will help to reduce trade fails and cope with sudden increases in trade volumes during periods of market volatility. To meet the tight settlement window, the industry is recommending that trade allocations be completed by 7pm Eastern Time, and trade confirmation and affirmation be conducted by the parties to the trade and completed by the DTC cutoff time of 9pm Eastern Time on trade date. ITP’s central matching service, CTM®, has a workflow called Match to Instruct (M2i) which streamlines what is currently a multi-step process of allocation matching in the middle office and then confirmation affirmation in the back office. We consolidate that down into a single process where the matching in CTM between the investment manager’s allocation and the broker’s confirmation is the affirmation of the trade. When that trade is affirmed, it flows down from CTM to the DTC through TradeSuite ID and is staged or prepared for authorisation and settlement, a very efficient workflow. Additionally, ITP is working to take the concept of CTM’s M2i workflow and the direct connection to DTC and NSCC in the U.S. and apply it across the globe by partnering with other central counterparties (CCPs) and central securities depositories (CSDs). The benefits of automation are not limited to matching and confirmation – it also applies to Standing Settlement Instructions (SSIs), which guarantee that trade settlements, margin, and payments are sent for the correct accounts.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative is recent, with the earliest known publication date being June 11, 2024, when DTCC announced its collaboration with Cboe Clear Europe to enhance post-trade workflows. (dtcc.com) The report mentions plans for full implementation around September 2025, indicating that the content is current and not recycled. However, the report does not specify the exact date of publication, which is a minor concern. Additionally, the report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were identified. The narrative does not appear to be republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks. No earlier versions with different figures, dates, or quotes were found. The inclusion of updated data alongside older material suggests that the update may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. Overall, the freshness score is high, with minor concerns regarding the exact publication date.

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The report includes direct quotes from Val Wotton, managing director and global head of equities solutions at DTCC, and Anthony Fraser, global head of prime financial services operations at J.P. Morgan. A search for the earliest known usage of these quotes indicates that they have not appeared in earlier material, suggesting that the content is original. No identical quotes were found in earlier publications, and no variations in wording were noted. Therefore, the quotes are likely original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from a reputable organisation, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), which is a leading post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry. This enhances the credibility and reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 9

Notes: The claims made in the report are plausible and align with industry trends towards accelerated settlement cycles and increased automation in post-trade processes. The report mentions that BNP Paribas and J.P. Morgan are preparing to go live with DTCC’s CTM automated tri-party matching workflow for prime brokers by the end of 2025, which is consistent with the industry's move towards T+1 settlement cycles. The narrative lacks specific factual anchors such as exact dates and names of individuals involved, which slightly reduces the score. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic, and there is no excessive or off-topic detail unrelated to the claim. The tone is formal and professional, resembling typical corporate language.

Overall assessment

Veredict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is recent, with no evidence of recycled content. The quotes are original and have not appeared elsewhere. The source is a reputable organisation, enhancing the reliability of the information. The claims are plausible and align with industry trends, with minor concerns regarding the exact publication date and lack of specific factual anchors. Overall, the narrative passes the fact-check with high confidence.